What's in YOUR Soap? The Body Shop Switches to Sustainable Palm Oil for Lots of Great Reasonsl

SUSTAINABLE PALM OIL (one of the world¹s most popular vegetable oils) is frequently used in cosmetics, foods and other consumer products. However, its' so popular, especially sourced frm Indonesia and Malaysia, that the clearance of the forest for palm oil plantations has increased more than six-fold since the mid-1980s, and the demand is still rising.

This Summer of 2007, The Body Shop, recognizing that the demand for palm oil could potentially devastate the world's ancient rainforest, affect delicate ecosystems, endanger animal species (eg. orangutans, elephants, tigers and rhinoceros), and effect the rights of indegenous populations of human beings, have decided to start using sustainably-sourced palm oil from a plantation in Columbia for all the Body Shop Soaps. As of May 25th, all Almond Soap delivered into The Body Shop business
was manufactured with sustainable palm oil. From the end of July, all Olive
Soap will also contain sustainable palm oil. Over the next six to eight
months The Body Shop will convert the remainder of soap business into
sustainable palm oil. The Body Shop hopes that their decision to use sustainable palm oil will help to improve conditions for workers, preserve communities and protect endangered animals affected by the irresponsible production of palm oil.

So what is the soap actually like? The soap I received from The Body Shop was the Almond Soap. And, it's quite nice.



The almond-colored, hard-milled soap is smooth except for an embossed "Body Shop" logo. Of course, it contains sustinable palm oil to moisturize your skin, and almond extract (providing essential fatty acids that help to repair the skin's moisture barrier) and glycerin to improve your skin's softness and maximize hydration. This soothing, moisturizing and nicely cleansing csoap also has a pleasant, clean and light fragrance that is not the sweet almond I expected. It is less sweet and more spicy, like bitter almond extract. I think men will particularly like it if they are sharing soap in the bathroom, because it won't make them smell too "nutty" (as in almond, not crazy) and it dissapates quickly, so it won't overpower their other fragrance choices. I am not sure if I counted correctly, but I think there are 18 different soap choice.

The Almond Soap is available for $3.50 and is available at all Body Shop retail stores (thre are more than 2,000 stores in over 57 countries) and online at www.thebodyshop.com

We will be reviewing more products from The Body Shop in our SEPTEMBER What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion review column, available on the Advice Sisters Relationships & Advice Website the first week in September. Meanwhile, don't forget to check out the huge two-page JULY/AUGUST What Works column, featuring sun-safe products for the entire family, and our exclusive buying guide (see the bottom of PAGE TWO).

Hang On-It's EMMY TIME!

Every time I write about celebrities, my readers increase significantly. I guess this world is just star-obsessed. So, instead of writing something serious today, I am offering all my celeb-obsessed readers a little tidbit that should keep you (and the fashion magazines and entertainment news shows) chatting and critiquing your favorite stars for months:

In case you missed it, the nominations for the 59th annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced. The Sopranos got the most nominations, even though it's been "whacked" for next season--they got 15 nominations. More to my liking is the silly but still fun, fashion magazine-satire Ugly Betty, with 11 chances to win big.


The actual awards who will be on September 16th at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Of course, there will be lots of red-carpet banter and bloopers. Stay tuned, literally and figuratively:

I honestly don't think I've seen more than a handful of these shows, I'm too busy glued to "The Deadliest Catch" and whatever else is playing on National Geographic or the History Chanel, or the Style Network, but I have just added a brand new bulletin board called "Anything Goes at http://advicesisters.net/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=8.0 to the Advice Sisters Bulletin Boards/Forums area. I posted the same list of Emmy nominees there, with the suggestion that we take on the role of the Academy members, and vote now for our favorites. Although I seriously doubt the people responsible for the actual voting will look at it, if enough people take two seconds to leave a comment it will make for interesting reading in a few weeks, so please visit: http://advicesisters.net/simplemachinesforum/index.php?board=8.0 and leave your comments and vote for your favorites!

Lead Actress, Comedy Series
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives, ABC
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine, CBS
Tina Fey, 30 Rock, NBC
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty, ABC
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds, Showtime

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
Jaime Pressly, My Name Is Earl, NBC
Jenna Fischer, The Office, NBC
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men, CBS
Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men, CBS
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty, ABC
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds, Showtime

Lead Actress, Drama Series
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters, ABC
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer, TNT
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU, NBC
Patricia Arquette, Medium, NBC
Minnie Driver, The Riches, FX
Edie Falco, The Sopranos, HBO
Supporting Actress, Drama Series
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers & Sisters, ABC
Katherine Heigl, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
Aida Turturro, The Sopranos, HBO
Lorraine Bracco, The Sopranos, HBO

Lead Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Queen Latifah, Life Support, HBO
Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect: The Final Act, PBS
Mary-Louise Parker, The Robber Bride, Oxygen
Debra Messing, The Starter Wife, USA
Gena Rowlands, What If God Were the Sun, Lifetime

Lead Actor, Comedy Series
Ricky Gervais, Extras, HBO
Tony Shalhoub, Monk, USA
Steve Carell, The Office, NBC
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock, NBC
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men, CBS
Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
Kevin Dillon, Entourage, HBO
Jeremy Piven, Entourage, HBO
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother, CBS
Rainn Wilson, The Office, NBC
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men, CBS

Lead Actor, Drama Series
James Gandolfini, The Sopranos, HBO
Hugh Laurie, House, FOX
Denis Leary, Rescue Me, FX
James Spader, Boston Legal, ABC
Kiefer Sutherland, 24, FOX
Supporting Actor, Drama Series
William Shatner, Boston Legal, ABC
T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy, ABC
Masi Oka, Heroes, NBC
Michael Emerson, Lost, ABC
Terry O'Quinn, Lost, ABC
Michael Imperioli, The Sopranos, HBO

Lead Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Robert Duvall, Broken Trail, AMC
Tom Selleck, Jesse Stone: Sea Change, CBS
Jim Broadbent, Longford, HBO
William H. Macy, Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, TNT
Matthew Perry, The Ron Clark Story, TNT

Drama Series
Boston Legal, ABC
Grey's Anatomy, ABC
Heroes, NBC
House, FOX
The Sopranos, HBO

Comedy Series
Entourage, HBO
The Office, NBC
30 Rock, NBC
Two and a Half Men, CBS
Ugly Betty, ABC

NASA Goof--How Many Rocket Scientists Does It Take To....?

It's Monday morning, and I needed a laugh. I did so when I read a brief piece from the Associated Press (from Saturday) that reported when the space shuttle Endevour arrived at the its launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, it was welcomed with a banner reading "Go Endeavor."

The shuttle's name, however, isn't spelled that way! It's spelled the British way (with the inclusion of a "u") and (I didn't know this) the shuttle was named after the first ship commanded by 18th century British explorer James Cook.

According to the Associated Press report, the banner was up for about 90 minutes before being replaced by one with the correct spelling. Naturally, press being paramount (why else would you string a huge red, white and blue banner on a launch pad?) photographers were there en masse for the arrival of the shuttle, and took plenty of photos of the NASA Gaffe.

My feeling is, anything I "flub" today is going to pale with this one! Hope the same is true for you, too.

Happy Monday

*Tuesday July 17, 1007: I realize I DID goof: two typos in one short note. Pride goeth before a fall..sigh!

AdviceSisters in 63 countries last month!

Every now and then I search the net for my name. I was surprised to find that while the Advice Sisters online publications are read in virtually every country on Earth, thanks to translating devices provided by Alta Vista and Google, and others. My name sounds quite different in various languages. Just for fun, I've included a few here. If you speak a language other than the ones listed here, please send me your translation throught the COMMENTS section of this post!


"ADVICE SISTER ALISON" (ORIGINAL, ENGLISH)

Soeur Alison de conseil (French)
alison de la hermana del consejo (Spanish)
alison della sorella di consiglio (Italian)
忠告姐妹alison (Chinese)
raads zuster Alison (Dutch)
助言の姉妹のalison (Japanese)
Rateschwester alison (German)
통보 자매alison (Korean)
alison da irmã do conselho (Portguese)
αδελφή Alison συμβουλών (Greek)
alison сестры консультации (Russian)

Although not completely accurate, in the last month alone, this blog and the Advice Sisters Relationships & Advice WebSite has been visited by people from:

1. United States
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. India
5. Senegal
6. Philippines
7. Australia
8. Ireland
9. Brazil
10. South Africa
11. France
12. China
13. Germany
14. Netherlands
15. Italy
16. Mexico
17. Ivory Coast
18. Thailand
19. South Korea
20. Bahrain
21. Turkey
22. Ukraine
23. Singapore
24. (not set)
25. Spain
26. Malaysia
27. Hong Kong SAR China
28. Romania
29. Morocco
30. Lithuania
31. Pakistan
32. Russia
33. Japan
34. Belgium
35. Barbados
36. Greece
37. Denmark
38. Puerto Rico
39. Czech Republic
40. Finland
41. Taiwan
42. Uruguay
43. Vietnam
44. Moldova
45. Algeria
46. Iran
47. Guam
48. Greenland
49. Armenia
50. Nepal
51. Malta
52. Ghana
53. Israel
54. Argentina
55. Angola
56. Egypt
57. Yemen
58. New Zealand
59. Lebanon
60. Luxembourg
61. Brunei
62. Sweden
63. Latvia

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this blog, or who visits the Advice Sisters Relationships & Advice Web site
Please pass the word about what the Advice Sisters are doing online. Leave a comment..join me on facebook or myspace as a friend (see links to the right)

Eva Longoria Saw "RED"--wedding gift bags

It is hard to escape the frenzy of a celebrity wedding these days, and Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria's European wedding extravaganza to Tony Parker is no exception. Apparently, Ms. Longoria's decision to make the items in her gift bags to special guests, red-themed, will now be all the rage for brides wondering how to say "thanks" to their guess on that special day. The details, are below.

Eva likes red. It is an exciting color, one of love and romance, so Eva put her favorite red items together and gifted bags during her wedding week to the most important women in her life which included: her mom, mother-in-law, bridesmaids and even made an extra one for herself!


Some of the items included were:

Alain Mikli sunglasses: (for Eva) and her bridesmaids (Longoria's choices were $495, but you can keep the sun out of the eyes and opt forless fancy frames)Longoria's are available at: Alain Mikli boutiques 1-800 829 8032

Apparently, Ms. Longoria is a big fan of Laura Mercier makeup (as am I) and her gift bag included lip pencil, lip colour, lip glace. and cheek color in red/pink tones. At $18-$22 adding quality makeup to your guest's gift bags is an affordable touch.

Laura Mercier counters nationwide www.lauramercier.com


Finally, Ms. Longoria gave her special guests something special to whet their whistles, adorable, red-clad Piper-Heidsieck mini-champagne bottles. Make sure you add a straw, so guests can "guzzle" wherever they wish! 4 for $20 -www.winespecialist.com

Facebook kids to Facebook adults--beat it!

One aspect of the Internet I like a great deal is the way it has been able to bring people together. If you consider that a stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet, the Internet, especially social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace have helped the world become a lot "friendlier."

That's why I read PluggedIn: Facebook lets friends share private view of Web By Eric Auchard Fri Jul 6, 1:15 PM ET (Reuters) with dismay. In this article, Mr. Auchard mentions that while Facebook has 29 million active users, and is signing up (as of this post) more than 150,000 members a day, up from its pace of 100,000 six weeks ago, many of these new users are adults. Apparently Facebook kids are taking exception to this (as if they own the net and regulate who visits "their" sites).

Apparently, there's even a kiddie protest group called "Facebook Should Be Students ONLY" and it has 30,000 little "Abbie Hoffmans" (they won't know who that is, but if you are in the "to-be-banned-from-Facebook-group" you will). According to the Reuters article, one 15-year old girl, who writes in shorthand (maybe she has been too busy text-ing in English class to learn how to write properly) that Facebook should only be for students. She complains that her CHOIR teacher has a Facebook page, and therefore, possibly, might be so interested in her students that she could access a chid's site, and see what they're up to. Wow, now that's a threat to peace and privacy! I mean, what is this world coming to? Is it no longer a happy world now that a choir teacher can what her students are up to, including being able to read anything those kids write about other people--maybe even teachers?

My grandmother had an expression I love and is valid here: "when you spit, you can't pick it up." In other words, if you put something out in public, others will see it and you can't take it back. So, why should a 15-year old dictate feel she can dictate to the entire universe, who can read something she puts on a public forum, and who can't? If she wants to portray herself in ways that others might find unacceptable or unflattering, she should do so in private, in a diary (that's assuming that this little girl can actually write out a full sentence).

On the positive side of things, I give the "Facebook Should Be Students ONLY" group some props for organizing. Getting together over a cause is a positive experience for youngsters. I protested the Vietnam war, although admittedly it wasn't as important as banning my teachers from Facebook. I do not like the idea that anyone, or any group, should try to dictate who should be allowed on an open, public, not-in-any-way-owned-by-them, online community. If these kids don't want their parents, or teachers, or some kid they don't like, to be in their community, here's the larger lesson of the world: you can't always pick and choose who you'll rub elbows with in public, even if the public is a social networking site on the world wide web. Teenagers who don't feel safe allowing an adult to view their web page, might think twice about what they're putting on it, instead of resorting to clique-ish behavior. When I go into a public venue, such as the subway, there are plenty of people I'd rather not see, or sit next to, or even be in the same train with. I might even see someone I know that I'd rather not have see me. But it's a free country. These people are in a public arena and they're entitled to join me on the subway if they wish.

The same is true of the Internet, and especially social networking sites that are trying to promote interaction from all angles. The net is, for better or worse, open to everyone. That includes parents, and predators, as well as kind hearted strangers, and kids. You can't shut people out, but by not doing so, you let people in. That is what makes the net wonderful, frustrating and sometimes, dangerous.

I do have a suggestion for the "Facebook Should Be Students ONLY" group. If you really want to be alone with just your BF's, build a treehouse, climb in, and shut the door!

By the way, if you'd like to see my Facebook page, click on the B&W photo on the right hand side of this blog page. I'd be happy to have you visit.

Happy 4th of July

I hope that you're sitting with friends and family enjoying a 4th of July barbeque, or some other "patriotic" delight. I have taken a few days off myself, but as a writer, I find it nearly impossible to avoid the allure of the Internet.

Although the majority of my readers are from the USA, I have readers visiting this blog and the Advice Sisters Relationships and Advice Website from all over the world. Many countries celebrate an Independance Day. The one the good people of the United States celebrate is July 4th.

Many people just consider July 4th as a day (this year, mid-week) to goof off. Others, especially the Nation's veterans and other patriotic-minded people, lay wreaths at the memorials and graves of soldiers who died for the country's freedom, or march in parade, or, in some cases, use the day to decorate with flags, and make noise with fireworks (please exercise reasonable caution if you must blow off fireworks--they are dangerous and in many states, quite illegal).

But back to the meaning of July 4th. Most schoolchildren know that On July 4, 1776, The Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia after most members of the Congress had already signed it on July 2nd, 1776 (in total, all 56 members signed it) This date marks the "official" birth of a nation. Thomas Jefferson was the author of the first draft of the Declaration of Independence which begins: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness."

From all accounts, the signing of the Declaration of Independence was a quiet affair compared to the Macy's fireworks, parades, and massive traffic jams that this special day off now generates. There was apparently a parade of Battalions, a gun salute, and a public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 8, 1776.
The next year, in Philadelphia on July 4, 1777, they jazzed up the celebration to include bonfirs, bands playing patriotic music, gun salutes and fireworks. Apparently, each home in Philly displayed a candle in the front window. A fire hazard, perhaps, but a nice gesture!

Whatever you are planning for July 4th, please do it with safety and remember why we're getting the day off in the USA.